Elbit's first-generation MALE UAV: 17 h endurance, the IDF's ISR workhorse since 2000 and the technological foundation of the British Watchkeeper.
Community
Data trust
- Reliability
- Unverified
- Sources
- Sources pending review
Identity
- Designation
- Elbit Hermes 450
- Alias
- Zik
- Manufacturer
- Elbit Systems
- Country
- Israel
- Year
- 1998
- Category
- ISR (Reconnaissance)
- Class
- MALE (Medium-altitude / long-endurance)
- Status
- In service
Performance
- Range
- 200 km
- Endurance
- 17 h
- Top speed
- 176 km/h
- Service ceiling
- 5,500 m
- Propulsion
- Rotax 914 turbo, 52 hp, elica spintore
Physical characteristics
- MTOW
- 550 kg
- Payload
- 150 kg
- Hardpoints
- 2
- Weapons
- Configurazioni armate non confermate (sospette in Libano 2006)
Onboard systems
- Sensors
- EO/IR DCoMPASS, SAR/GMTI, SIGINT/COMINT, laser designator
- Datalink / control
- LOS + SATCOM opzionale
- Launch
- Pista (decollo autonomo)
- Recovery
- Pista (atterraggio autonomo)
Combat use
- ▸2006 Lebanon War
- ▸Gaza operations
- ▸Iraq/Afghanistan (UK Watchkeeper)
- ▸Second Intifada and West Bank operations (2002-present)
- ▸2006 Lebanon War
- ▸Operations Cast Lead 2008, Pillar of Defense 2012, Protective Edge 2014
- ▸Operation Swords of Iron, Gaza and Lebanon (2023-2024)
- ▸US-Mexico border surveillance (CBP, since 2004)
Tags
Main operators
History
Fielded by the IDF in 1998, the Hermes 450 was one of the first Western MALE UAVs and remains Israel's ISR backbone.
The UK developed an 'anglicized' version — Watchkeeper WK450 — built under license by U-TacS (Elbit/Thales UK joint venture).
The Elbit Hermes 450 was one of the first MALE drones in the world certified to fly in non-segregated civilian airspace: the British Watchkeeper WK450 variant received in 2014 the first Military Type Certificate for a UAV issued by the UK MAA.
In the United States Hermes 450s are operated by US Customs and Border Protection for surveillance of the Mexican border and counter-narcotics missions, accumulating over 100,000 operational flight hours since 2004.
In Israeli operations against Hamas and Hezbollah the Hermes 450 has been the IDF's most used drone: it has guided precision strikes, designated targets for F-16 fighters and provided continuous ISR over Gaza and the Lebanese front.